Automatic regulating-weir for filters



No. 6l7,860. I Patent ed Jan. [7, i899.

W. B. NYE. v AUTOMATIC BEGULATING WEIR FOR FILTERS. (Application filed Jan. 27, 1898. (N0 Mddel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

V TTY No. 617,860. Paitented Ian. [7, 1399.

w. B. NYE. AUTOMATIC REGULATING WEIR FOR FILTERS.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WFFNEEEEEI. \NVENTUR JMHwEMMM ATTY.

Patented Jan. l7, I899.

W. B. NYE. AUTOMATIC REGULATING WEIR FOR FILTERS.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1898.) I

3 Sheets$heet 3.

(No Model.)

INVENTQ W IT M55555.

El -MM ATT'Y UNITED STATES j PATENT 'QFFICE.

WALTER ll. NYE, OF BROOKLIXE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, Ill," )[lIb'Nll IANY, OF NEV JERSEY.

AUTOM ATiC REGULA TlNG-WElR eon FILTERS},

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,860, dated January 17', 1899, Application filed January 27, 1898. fierial No. 668,223, (No model.) 7 I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER B. N YE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Regulating-Weir's, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

' This invention relates to an automatic regulating-weir especially designed and adapted, among other uses, to be employed in connection with mechanical filters to 'securea constant rate of discharge of filtered water from the weir tank or chamber irrespective of the height of the water column in said weir-tank and irrespective of the condition of the filterbed.

Another feature of this invention consists in providing an alarm which is operated when the water in the weir-tank has been lowered to a predetermined point, thereby giving 110- tice of the condition of the filter, as will be described.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of a mechanical filter'provided with an automatic regulating-weir embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a similar view with the weir at a lower level in the weir'tank or vessel; Fig. 3, a detail of the weir-tank and weir on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4:, a sectional detail on the line 4 4, Fig. 3.

The automatic regulating-weir forming the subjectof thisinvention may and preferably will be made as herein shown; and it consists, essentially, of a tank or vessel A, provided within it with a telescopic discharge or outlet pipe 'A, composed, as shown in the present instance, of a rigid upright section aand a movable section a, the section a being suitably connected to the tank or vessel A and communicating with a port or opening a? near the bottom thereof, and with which also communicates a pipe (1 located outside the said tank and forming acontinuation oi the outlet or discharge pipe A. The movable section a is adapted to slide upon the section a, and in the present instance is fitted over the section a and rendered liquid-tight by a packing-ring The movable section a is provided at its upper end with a weir, preferably made as herein shown and consisting of a diaphragm, disk, or plate I), having one or more openings 1) in it, throughwhich the water or other fluid passes into the discharge or outlet pipe A. The diaphragm Z) in the present instance is shown as provided with one substantially large central opening, and the said diaphragm may be detachably secured to the movable pipe or section a in any suitable manner, as by screws Z1 (See Fig. 3.) The movable section a of the outlet-pipe has connected to it a float, preferably of the construction herein shown, it consisting of a hollow air-tight casing b preferably of cylindrical shape and having a central opening I), substantially in line with theopening Z) in the diaphragnrb. The hollow'casing or float b", as herein shown,

is of greater diameter than the movable section aof the outlet-pipe and is supported above the diaphragm b in any suitable man-' neras, forinstance, by arms Z). The float b is supported above the" diaphragrnb, so as to obtain 'a constant head of water above the diaphragm irrespective of the position of the weir in the tank or vessel A, which results in the water in the weir-ta'nkbeing discharged therefrom at a constant rate irrespective of the condition of the filter-bed c in the filter-tank c. The filter-tank 0 herein shown is provided with a central well having two chambers c a and the saidwell extends above the surface of the filter-bode and below the bottom of the filter-tank c. The chamber 0 is connected by the pipe 0 to the weir-tank near its bottom, as herein shown, and the said chamber cf 'has connected to it the supplvpipe c for the unfiltered water. The pipes .0 0 are provided with valves 0 c and have connected to them branch pipes c 0, provided with valves c c. The branch pipe o is connected to a supply of filtered water, which is used to wash the filter-bed, and

chamber a of the central well. ,Theparticular construction of filter hereinsliown is not herein claimed, as it forms the subject-matter of another application, Serial No. 664,899, filed by myselfand Franklin Agg'e December3l, 1897.

' In operation the unfiltered water in the fil 'ter-tankp, the level of which is indicated by the dotted line passes through the filterbed into the chamber".:, and thence through the pipe 0 into the weir-tank A, which it fills up 'to the level indicated by the dotted line 0". At the beginning of the filtering process the filter bed is clean and the process of .filteration is comparatively rapid and the column of filtered water in the weir-tank is I highest at that time and the movable section a of the discharge or outlet pipe is lifted into substantially the position shown in ig. 1. As the process of filtration proceeds the filterbed becomes gradually clogged by the arrested matter and the filtered water flows into the weir-tank at a gradually-decreasing rate, so that the height of the column of water in the weir-tank diminishes, and as it diminishes the float b descends, thereby lowering the movable section of the outlet or discharge pipe to adapt the latter to the height of the gcolumn of filtered water; and thereby obtain as".

a constant rate of discharge of filtered water H irrespective of the condition of the filter-bed.

, in the weir,- which insures the water being under a constant pressure or head irrespective of the height of the column of water in the weir-tank, and consequently insures a uniform discharge of filtered water from said -weir-tank. The area of the opening b in the diaphragm b may be increased or decreased, as desired, to control the volume and rate of dischargeof the filtered water. By making -;blfediaphragm or-wei'r b detachable from the pipe at any desired rate of discharge of water may be obtained by substituting for one having an opening of a given discharging capacity a second diaphragm having an opening or openings of diiferent discharging capacity.

. The diaphragm or weir b closes the upper end of the pipe a, except as to the openings 12 in it. When the column of water in the weirtank'has been lowered-to a predetermined point, it is desirable that notice of this fact should be given, as at that time the filter-bed should be washed, and to obtain this notice I prefer to employ an alarm which is operated automatically by'the movable section of the outlet-pipe or by the float, as shown in.

the present instance. The alarm referred to 'is represented as an electrically-operated gongor bell d, included in a normally open circuitcontaining a'battery d and provided witha fixed line-terminal cl and almovable line-terminal d which is shown as secured to a rod d, fastened to a cross-bar (1", attached to the float b within the opening b Under normal conditions the circuit of the bell dis open, as shown in Fig. 1, but when the level of the water in the weir-tank has been lowered to a predetermined point indicated by the dotted line d Fig. 2, the circuit of said bell will be closed, as indicated in Fig. 2, and notice will thereby-be given that the filter-bed 0 should be washed.

I have herein shown one form of mechanical filter with which my invention may be used; but I do not desire to limit myself in this respect, as it may be used with other ,forms of filter,

-I claim-- 1. The combination of the following instru mentalities, viz:- -a filter providedwith an outlet for the "filtered liquid, a weir tank or vessel connected to said filter for the admis-- sion of filtered liquid, an outlet-pipe for said weir-tank having a movable inlet-section provided with a diaphragm having an orifice, and a float connected to said inlet-section to raise and lower the same as the column of liquid in the weir-tank varies, for the purpose specified.

2. An automatic regulating-weir comprising a tank or vessel provided with an outletpipe extended up within it and having a movable upper section, a diaphragm attached to the upper end of said mbvable section of the outlet-pipe and provided with an orifice for thepassage of the liquid into said outletpipe, and 'a float supported above and connected to said movable section of the outletpipe, for the purpose specified.

3. An automatic regulating-weir compris ing a tank or vessel provided with an outlet-- pipe extended up within it and having a movable upper section, a diaphragm detachably attached to the upper end of said movable section of the outlet-pipe and provided with an orifice for the passage of the liquid into said outlet-pipe, and a float supported above and connected to said movablesectienef the outlet-pipe, for the purpose specified.

4; An automatic regulating-weir comprising a tank or vesselhaving a liquid-inlet near its bottom,.and a liquid-outlet pipe connected to said vessel at its lower end or bottom and extended up within said tank or vessel and provided with'a movable upper section, a removable diaphragm provided with an orifice of predetermined discharging capacity and attached to the movable section of said outletpipe, and a float connected to said movable section andsupported above said diaphragm,

ing a tanker vessel. providedwith an ltletpipe extended up within it and having a movable 11 per section, a transverse disk, plate or diap ragm attached to the upper end of said movablel'section of the outlet-pipe and 15 provided with an orifice for the passage of the liquid into said outlet-pipe of less area than the area of said outlet-pipe, and a float attached to said-movable section of the outletpipe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have s'gned my name to-this specification in the "presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER B. NYE.

' Witnessesz JA'S. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

